Nikola Padevsky GM (1933-2023)

[Matt Mackenzie]

The death has been announced of the veteran Bulgarian GM, for many years one of his country's strongest players who represented them at several high level individual and team events. His numerous scalps included a young Karpov at the 1972 Olympiad.

And we can cross off another name from the steadily dwindling list of those still alive who played Fischer.

[Nick Ivell]

Couple of draws against Fischer I think.

[John Moore]

Couple of draws against Fischer I think.

Both at the Varna Olympiad in 1962(!), when the event was still run in preliminary groups followed by Finals. USA and Bulgaria both qualified from the same preliminary group.

[Nick Ivell]

Can't have been bad then. Karpov's only loss at Skopje was with his never-too-convincing Sicilian (though it did transpose to a French where Black was clearly better).

[Matt Mackenzie]

At a later Olympiad in 1978, he inflicted a painful defeat on Boris Gulko with the black pieces - this was a key moment in the USSR just losing out on the gold medals to Hungary, which caused a sensation in world chess at the time. Gulko's indifferent performance in that event was maybe what began his falling out with the Soviet chess establishment, and then his lengthy emigration saga.

[Christopher Kreuzer]

Some interesting games mentioned. Any chances of links to them, or PGNs being posted?

[Mick Norris]

Padevsky - Karpov

Fischer - Padevsky

Padevsky - Fischer

Gulko - Padevsky

[Nick Ivell]

A game Karpov himself would have been proud of.

I don't feel he was ever very comfortable with IQP as Black; he was much better playing against it!

[James Plaskett]

He claimed to be the first ever recipient of a ...Rxc3 sacrifice in the Sicilian / https://james-plasketts-coincidence-dia ... liest.html

[Matt Mackenzie]

Isn't there a claim that Alekhine once played one? I would be surprised if even Padevsky's youth saw the first instance *ever*.

[Roger de Coverly]

Isn't there a claim that Alekhine once played one? I would be surprised if even Padevsky's youth saw the first instance *ever*.

This may be the claimed game where .. Rxc3 would be the first move considered by many Dragon players.


[SetUp "1"] [FEN "2rq1rk1/pp1bppbp/3p1np1/8/4PPn1/1NN1B3/PPPQB1PP/R4RK1 b - - 2 13"]
[Event "Simultan"] [Site "Stockholm (Sweden)"] [Date "1914.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Schultz Evelyne"] [Black "Alekhine Alexander A (RUS)"] [Result "0-1"] 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 d6 7.Bc4 Nf6 8.f3 O-O 9.O-O Bd7 10.Qd2 Ne5 11.Be2 Rc8 12.f4 Neg4 13.Nb3 Rxc3 14.bxc3 Nxe4 15.Qd3 Nxe3 16.Qxe3 Nxc3 17.Rae1 a5 18.Bf3 Bb5 19.Rf2 d5 20.Qc5 b6 21.Qe3 d4 22.Qxe7 a4 23.Nc1 Qb8 24.Nd3 Re8 25.Qb7 Rxe1+ 26.Nxe1 Qxb7 27.Bxb7 d3 28.Rd2 Bd4+ 29.Kh1 Be3 30.Rxd3 Bxd3 31.Nxd3 Nxa2 32.Bd5 Nc3 33.Bc6 a3 0-1

[IM Jack Rudd]

I suppose the argument that might be raised is that in the Alekhine game, the ...Rxc3 "sacrifice" immediately wins two pawns for the exchange by force, so it's not really the same sort of idea as the genuine sacrifices for longer-term compensation that you nowadays expect in such positions.

[Nick Ivell]

I'm sure I recall a Rxc3 sac by Nakamura for 'nothing'; well, positional compensation only. No mate and not even an 'h' pawn swallowed.

[Joey Stewart]

The more they look at those positions the more it feels like black is obliged to sac the exchange every single time just to avoid getting hacked